[c-nsp] Microsoft multicasted cluster vs. Cisco IOS

Brian Desmond brian at briandesmond.com
Tue Nov 8 09:59:17 EST 2005


I *think* (but am not positive), that it's unicast until you switch it to
multicast. This KB explains how to change it:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307962

 

As far as the cluster networks, each set of interfaces on the nodes (e.g.
all the public or heartbeat NICs) needs to be on the same subnet which
usually translates to the same vlan. Part of the reason being that as part
of a failover, the IP will failover. So, you can't really have a VIP of
192.168.1.2, and one node on 192.168.1.0/24 and one on 192.168.2.0/24. 

 

Here's the MS bit on geo-clustering, though:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/7/6/f/76f3db2f-6f43-4624-bfde-ff731e3
c1f96/GDClusters.doc#_Toc87754910

 

 

 

Thanks,
Brian Desmond

 <mailto:brian at briandesmond.com> brian at briandesmond.com

 

c - 312.731.3132

 

 

  _____  

From: christian.macnevin at uk.bnpparibas.com
[mailto:christian.macnevin at uk.bnpparibas.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2005 4:22 AM
To: brian at briandesmond.com
Cc: cisco-nsp at puck.nether.net; olivier.dauby at scarlet.be
Subject: RE: [c-nsp] Microsoft multicasted cluster vs. Cisco IOS

 


Thanks for that. But are you saying then that the MSCS heartbeat, which MS
claims is unicast for two servers or for all servers 
if they're running heterogenous OSes and multicast for three or more
homogenous OSes can't be routed and definitely 
requires the private vlan? 






Internet 
brian at briandesmond.com 

07/11/2005 19:09 


To

Christian MACNEVIN, olivier.dauby 


cc

cisco-nsp 


Subject

RE: [c-nsp] Microsoft multicasted cluster vs. Cisco IOS

 


 

 




That is correct:

MSCS - Microsoft Cluster Services
This is their failover solution - you have multiple hosts connected to
shared storage (SAN) running something like Exchange or SQL. The hosts
exchange heartbeats over a private vlan (they can have up to 500ms of
latency before it stops working). There is a public network the clients talk
to the cluster on, and then the application resources, storage, etc. The
cluster resource for the application and the resources built into MSCS
monitor to make sure everything is hunky dory and if not a failover happens

NLBS - Network Load Balancing Services
This is MS' software LB service. It's designed for load-balancing scaled out
servers, e.g. a webfarm that talks to a backend database cluster. It works
fine, but, sometimes getting it setup can be a real PITA when it doesn't
play right with the network.

The bit in that technote *does not* apply to MSCS - Cluster Services, just
NLBS - Network Load Balancing. MSCS doesn't support active/active in the
sense of a load balancing solution, so it doesn't do this stuff with the
multicast MACs.

Despite what MS claims on that page, I discovered that at least with the
Compaq NIC drivers, teaming doesn't work well with NLB. NLB will fiddle with
the MACs on some of the parts of the team but never all and then things end
up breaking.

Thanks,
Brian Desmond
brian at briandesmond.com

c - 312.731.3132


-----Original Message-----
From: cisco-nsp-bounces at puck.nether.net
[mailto:cisco-nsp-bounces at puck.nether.net] On Behalf Of
christian.macnevin at uk.bnpparibas.com
Sent: Monday, November 07, 2005 4:37 AM
To: olivier.dauby at scarlet.be
Cc: cisco-nsp-bounces at puck.nether.net; cisco-nsp at puck.nether.net
Subject: Re: [c-nsp] Microsoft multicasted cluster vs. Cisco IOS

I'm told by someone who purports to know a bit about Microsoft that
microsoft clustering service != Network Load Balancing. Don't
ask me, I just poke the routers.

The tech note seems to be specific to NLB. So does it hold true for both
services? Anyone?

Cheers
Christian





Internet
olivier.dauby at scarlet.be
Sent by: cisco-nsp-bounces at puck.nether.net
04/11/2005 17:11

To
cisco-nsp
cc

Subject
Re: [c-nsp] Microsoft multicasted cluster vs. Cisco IOS






Brett Looney wrote:
> At 00:44 5/11/2005, you wrote:
>
>>The Microsoft cluster is supposed to listen on a virtual ip address
>>using a multicast mac address. Local users see the virtual ip of the
>>cluster (10.106.49.6) with a mac address 03:BF:0A:6A:31:06. I'm
>>already a bit confused here since I expected the multicast mac
>>address to begin with 0x01 instead of 0x03.
>>
>>The routers also seem to be confused, they have been unable to learn
>>this mac address as you can see in this 'show arp' output:
>>
>>I quickfixed this with a dirty 'arp' command on both routers:
>>
>>        arp 10.106.49.6 03BF.0A6A.3106 arpa
>
>
> Yeah - there is a MS technote about this (can't find it right
> now...). Routers won't learn a multicast MAC address for a unicast IP
> address. You've done exactly what they suggest...
>
> B.

Oh I see,

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/library/Serve
rHelp/fdcd461f-0fd6-4164-928f-6f1841fdc27d.mspx


Thanks for your support,

O.

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